I pick up my new 2010 Trance X2 next Thursday and will be hitting Cannock Chase the last weekend in May 28th-29th…

I was just wondering how i set the susspension up once i get the bike to suit me?
Im 12 stone and 5ft 9 if that makes a difference :P?

Teh best simple guide I have seen is on Loco suspensions site
http://locotuning.co.uk/tech-info.html

Set up sag both ends first, then rebound damping then compression. Change one parameter at a time. Ride a [piece of trail again and again changing on thing at a time.

A lot of it is personal preference. I like soft spring with moderate rebound minimal compression

Ok thanks mate 🙂

I pick up my new 2010 Trance X2

I’d say you made the right choice in the end mate, after your thread the other day. Though it won’t be long before you’re after selling your 120mm forks to replace them with some 140mm ones I bet (incidentally, id you do want to sell the 120mm Fox’s, give me a shout, I may well be interested for my hardtail).

Oh, and that loco tuning guide is spot on.

Have fun!

Also helpful

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/backoffice/_upload_us/bikes/models/manual/08SuspensionQSGuide20070609.pdf

Try what the manual says, IME manufacturers tend to overestimate the pressures slightly (either that or run less sag).

Do a run down a short (but bumpy with some drops/jumps and corners preferably) trail with the rebound fully open, then again with it fully closed, should give you an idea of how it will affect the bike, then set it to the manufactureres recomendations and adjust it one click at a time from there.

Just remember one adjustmet afects another, so running less air, will mean you need less rebound damping, running more compression (if adjustable) needs more rebound damping to ballance it (or vice versa, otherwise the shock will tend to extend or ‘pack down’ over successive impacts), etc.

On the loco site, the table the gives sag measurements for rear shocks seems to indicate that the percentage of sag is a function of the eye-to-eye length of the shock, not the shock travel. Isn’t this wrong- I’ve always set the sag off the shaft travel?
We don’t measure fork sag as a percentage of the a-c height, do we?

vinnyeh, the measurement is done in that way as it’s often easier to measure the distance between the mounting bolys than get to the shaft due to the frame design.
If you look at the figures they are percentages of the shaft travel in relation to the reduction in eye to eye length.
Just an easier way of measuring it. 😉

vinnyeh, you are correct – I’ve fallen foul of this trying to set sag on a coil.

You need to set sag as a % of the shaft, not eye to eye between the shock bolts. If you think about an air shock O ring – thats exactly its purpose.

Right just to clear this up 20% sag on a 165 X 38mm shock is 7.6mm sag of the 38mm stroke. Therefore the reduction in the length of the shock (the eye to eye length is 7.6mm this would mean the distance between the mounting bolts that pass through the eyelets at either end of the shock would be 157mm (rounded up)
Hope this helps 😀

aah, now I see what you’ve done Loco. ta for the explanation.

I’m all for making life as easy as possible 😉

Might edit the site to make it clearer or stick some more photos in method 1 and method 2

Cheers Mboy 🙂 i might upgrade in a few weeks but need to try it first to see what its all about 🙂

A way I have seen for setting rebound and compression is the half way method, set sag first then set rebound leaving compression alone. to set rebound ride a section of trail with rebound fully open, then ride same section with fully closed, which felt better? If fully open, next step is to set rebound halfway between what fully open and fully closed and ride same section again, which felt better, fully open or halfway? If halfway felt better, next step is to do same run comparing halfway setting and half way between halfway and fully open, keep doing this until you run out of setting change. first run 0 against 12 clicks, assuming 12 clicks of adjustment, 0 clicks felt best, next run 0 clicks against 6 clicks, 6 clicks feels best, then run 3 clicks against 6 clicks, 3 clicks feels better, next run 3 clicks against 5 clicks, 3 clicks feels best, run 3 clicks against 4 clicks, the one that feels best is the right rebound for you. then repeat for compression, long winded but hope it makes sense, better explanation can be found in Brian Lopes book.